How To: Sell Clothes at Plato's Closet
This instructional is based of the Plato's Closet on US19 in Palm Harbor, FL. Plato’s closet is a second-hand store that buys gently used teen and young adult clothing and accessories. It’s the perfect way to make extra cash after purging your closet of unnecessary items. What Clothes Should I Sell? Plato’s closet is very strict about the clothes they will purchase. Which means when deciding what clothes to sell there are two things you should keep in mind. One, your clothes MUST be gently used. That means no stains, holes, fading, or excessive wear. Second, they typically only buy items that are currently in style and in season. Think of the clothes that you see at the mall. If your clothes closely resemble that then the chances of them buying your items are high. Or if you really want to get the most out of your visit I suggest calling the store in advance. Their number can be found online through a Google search. Ask the associates what they are currently looking for and decide which pieces you want to bring accordingly. However, if you’re unsure whether or not a certain piece will be accepted bring it anyways. You don’t lose anything in trying. The worst thing that can happen is they tell you no, which will happen regardless. They rarely ever take all the clothes you bring in anyways. Definitely, expect some pieces to be rejected. Because at the end of the day, these are only tips of what clothing to bring in, but the decision is ultimately up to the stylist who will go through your items and their personal judgment. Items They Will Accept (male and female): · Shirts, blouses, tank tops, jerseys, button-ups, t-shirts · Sweaters, jackets, hoodies, cardigans, kimonos, vests, blazers · Jeans, pants, skirts, shorts, leggings, running shorts, sweatpants · Bathing suits (one piece and two pieces), board shorts · Heels, sneakers, slip-on, sandals, boots · Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings, anklets (no body piercing pieces) · Purses, backpacks, laptop cases, wristlets, satchels, wallets · Sunglasses, hats, headbands · DVDs and books Bringing in the Clothes After deciding which clothes you will bring into sell you will need to find the right bag to put them in. It may not seem important but the size and type of bag you choose to put your clothes in is actually a crucial step in the selling process. You’re going to haul these clothes from your house to the store. You want to make sure the bag you choose is sturdy and the clothes fit in it nicely. This will make it easier for the associate to look through your clothes. If items are overflowing or there’s a hole choose a different bag. You don’t want to show up with clothes falling out all over the place. This will make it harder for you to stay organized and you can for sure expect an attitude from an associate if this does happen. Also, try to stick to a max of three bags. The sales associates will go through whatever you bring in but you’ll have a better chance of your clothes being bought if you stick to this three or less rule. And don’t worry about separating the clothing into categories. As long as they all fit in the bag you have nothing to worry about. Selling your Clothes Ok, so far you’ve picked which clothes you will bring and the bag you will put them in. Now it’s time to sell the clothes. Upon entering the store, you will find sales associates behind the main desk. Make sure you go to the far left side of the desk. This is where you will sell your clothes. Place your bag(s) on the desk and hand them to the stylist. The person working this area of the store will then ask if you have ever sold with them before if the answer is yes then they will hand you a yellow slip and ask you to put your phone number and name. Pens to fill this paper out will be to the right of where you are standing. If this is your first time selling clothes they will hand you the same yellow slip except you will also include an address and your signature. The associate will also go over wait times and how the overall process works. Expect to wait at least 30 minutes for them to look through your clothes. Since you gave them your number you don’t have to wait in the store for them to be ready. Let them know that you will be back later so that they know to give you a call when it’s ready for pickup. The longest you can wait to pick up the clothes is two days, but I don’t recommend it. The quicker you go back to get them the better. Or you can stay in the store and shop around while you wait. In fact, if you find something you like there’s a chance that you will be able to use the credit they give you for your clothes to purchase that item. Pick-up Now it’s time to pick up the clothes. Enter through the same door you did upon arrival except this time don’t go to the left side of the desk. You will pick up the clothes in the lines with the cash registers on the right. The sales associate will ask for your name so that they can locate your bag. They will explain which pieces they liked and which ones they didn’t and why and then they will offer you either store credit or cash. You don’t have to accept either offer if you feel that it is too low. The store credit offer is usually worth more than the cash they are willing to give you so choose wisely. I should also mention that Plato’s Closet is notorious for only accepting about half of what you bring in an offering on average $13 for all of it. So if you feel that it is a bad deal that’s because it probably is, but don’t feel bad because it happens to everyone who goes in. After deciding if you will sell your clothes or not the Plato’s Closet employee will give you the cash or store credit on the spot. They will also suggest items that they are looking for so that you know what to bring in on your next visit. Pay attention to what they say especially if you do plan on returning. Lastly, take the clothes they didn’t buy and return in about a month because they might not have liked what you brought in this time, but the next time you come in you will most likely have a different stylist look through your things and I promise more of your clothes will be bought. It’s a foolproof system I’ve been using for years.